Jatika - Ruler of the Shadow Beasts
by twinrose84
Summary: A sequel story to "Aladdin and the Poison Mystic" and "Fear Itself". Aladdin and the gang thought they'd seen the last of Jatika, but the imp has found a way back to Agrabah and swears revenge. Teaming up with Abis Mal and Haroud, Jatika takes the form of Grenden and opens up the realm of Lamrai. Can Aladdin and the others stop them from turning Agrabah into a realm of nightmares?
1. Prologue: Revenge is a Dish Best Served

_Author's Note: Hi all, another new Aladdin story in the making, this time a followup to my story "Fear Itself" and blending elements of a previous story I wrote called "Aladdin and the Poison Mystic". It would probably make more sense to read those stories for background before attempting this one._

_I had an idea to blend Jatika, a villanous imp who feeds on fear, in with the realm I established in the "Poison Mystic" story because they both deal with the measure of nightmares and fears, and I wanted to see how far I could take the concept. Given that Aladdin and his friends beat Jatika's efforts against them (slight spoiler warning, but not really :P) - it made sense to me to write a story where Jatika tries to enact revenge on the gang by taking over where Grenden left off in his realm. If this doesn't make sense now, it will in the story._

_Summary: Aladdin and the gang thought they'd seen the last of Jatika after he was thrown from the Moonstone Oasis, but Jatika has found a way back to Agrabah and swears revenge. Finding the underground realm of Lamrai, where a poison mystic named Grenden once dwelled, Jatika finds a way to make the powers latent in the realm emerge again, giving rise to a large army of shadowbeasts that threaten to consume the nightmares of those in Agrabah, and feed upon their greatest fears._

_Can Aladdin and the others stop Jatika from leveling the city into a realm of nightmares?_

_All Aladdin characters and locations from the Disney franchise belong to their respective creators/copyright holders. All self-created characters and locales belong to me, as well as the story itself - I just wanted to have a bit of fun telling it._

**Jatika, Ruler of the Shadow Beasts**

**Prologue: Revenge is a Dish Best Served in Shadow**

Jatika couldn't count how many days it'd taken him to travel by foot to Agrabah. It wasn't a pleasant experience for his first time setting foot in the city since enacting revenge against the now official Prince of Agrabah. It'd been some time before, more than a few years. But a few years to Jatika might as well have been the day before with how fresh his ire was.

He ground his long, sharp teeth together as he scurried along the evening streets of the marketplace, careful to not let any soldiers or citizens see him. Normally, he wouldn't care who would see him, considering it was likely to make them run away in fear, especially at night. His short stature might not be intimidating, but his razor like teeth, dark sockets for eyes, scaly skin and long hooked nose made him look intimidating enough. He was an odd looking imp. Fear he could feed on to make his power grow, but he wanted to maximize any possibility of scaring those around so he could feed as much as he could. More feeding, more power for him to manipulate.

A few Agrabah guards passed where he hid, and the imp smiled to himself. Perfect opportunity. No one else was around.

_Ah yes,_ the imp thought while grinning, _prepare yourselves, pretties. I am in need of your fear, and I've come to collect._

He drew in a breath and gave the loudest roar that he could manage, mimicking an angry beast. The guards were so startled they didn't know what hit them. Jatika felt their fear drawing into his essence, streams of light absorbing into his own flesh. He'd managed to use a spell that allowed him to be his own vessel of magic from now on, as opposed to the time when Prince Aladdin, Princess Jasmine, and the others who'd confronted him at the Moonstone Oasis.

Back then, he'd had external vessels to keep and manipulate his power, but Aladdin and his Genie had destroyed them both, disabling him from using even his most basic of abilities, and banishing him out of the realm of Agrabah and the Moonstone Oasis. Jatika recalled the memory with so much fury, he didn't realize that he was draining the guards too much, and they passed out in the middle of the street.

The imp sighed. "Well, I don't want to waste my newfound power reserve on creating nightmares for them. I suppose I'll have to find another source of power for the time being. If only I didn't have to resort to using short term scare tactics to get my fix of fear." He folded his arms across his tiny chest while scowling. There had to be another way for him to gain more power and get revenge on Agrabah. At the very least, if he couldn't make the all the kingdoms across the vast desert bend to his will, he might as well take Agrabah for himself somehow (it was a nice city - it was part of the reason he'd wanted to create a sleeping kingdom out of it once.) He glanced up at the Agrabah skyline, having a partial view of the Palace from where he stood, but shook his head. Even as he remembered Aladdin challenging him to directly fight his battles, Jatika realized marching into the palace and demanding submission would be a foolish thing to do. It would get him banished in a heartbeat by the Genie.

Then something caught his eye. At the end of an alleyway in the marketplace, he saw a place in the city that led to an underground route. Jatika wasn't sure where it led to, but he was willing to retreat to a place where he could better collect his thoughts and work out a plan of revenge.

At first, Jatika descended into the underground, and followed some winding paths through the darkness, but then he came upon a strange door that stood in the middle of the pathway. He stopped before it, looking up and admiring its intricate patterns. But there was something else that Jatika noticed - it had no knob by which to open it. It was a magic door.

"Very nice," the imp said with a small smirk. "I wonder what realm this leads to. Whomever the keeper had very exquisite tastes." Jatika placed his hands on the door. He sensed a very old magic inside it, and it made his tiny body shiver with delight.

"I could open this. Only takes a simple spell, and while old, I can still manipulate it." He chanted a few words, and the door opened into swirling tendrils of darkness. He stepped through, unfazed and unafraid as he disappeared into it and the door shut behind him.

When he emerged after a time, he realized he was in a large underground palace, drapes decorating the rooms in a lavish display. Jatika wondered if it'd belonged to a king. He didn't sense anything at first, but it wasn't long before he realized he was surrounded by a group of snarling, dark misted beasts with sharp fangs.

He gasped. Not out of fear, but out of recognition. These were shadow beasts, made of the same stuff nightmares could create. Jatika noticed that none of the beasts were advancing to attack him, they just studied the imp with curious looks, some of them baring their fangs.

"I suppose if you pretties aren't going to attack me, would you like to take me to your leader?"

Jatika didn't expect the several growled responses from the beasts themselves. He understood them well enough, though.

"No master, you say? Destroyed, you also say? By whom?"

The beasts led him into another room, to a strange altar with an orb sitting atop it in a setting glass. Jatika knew what this kind of vessel was - it was like a recorder - a keeper of events that happened to the last master of the realm. Jatika could probably see what happened to the leader who once led all these shadow beasts and what led up to their demise. He placed his hands on the orb, and the flood of visions filled his mind.

The former master of this place was called Grenden, a poison mystic. A former prince cast aside by his family. He destroyed them all. And interestingly enough, it had been Aladdin and his friends that led to Grenden's destruction after Grenden had tried to enact his own measure of revenge against Aladdin.

When the last images of Grenden's existence played through, Jatika turned back to some of the beasts that stood with him.

"I suppose that all of you seek vengeance against the Prince of Agrabah and his friends for keeping you banished down here after destroying your leader, yes?"

Several howls met his response. Jatika grinned widely, as a plan formed in his mind. "Well then, pretties, it looks like we have something in common."

To the imp, revenge had never tasted this sweet.


	2. Chapter 1: An Ominous Warning

**Chapter 1: An Ominous Warning**

"Aladdin, I can't believe you surprised me with that ride on Carpet across those kingdoms," Jasmine said as she rode with Aladdin and Abu on Carpet back into Agrabah that morning. "We saw so much."

Aladdin shrugged. "It was an early anniversary present. I figured you'd wanna be surprised. And the souvenirs we got were well worth it." He patted a small sack that reseted beside them. It didn't take up much space on Carpet, but Aladdin knew that Carpet would be glad to unload it once they arrived inside the palace. It had quite a bit of weight to it.

"You're right. Thank you, it was great." She kissed him as Carpet entered Agrabah's city limits. "But I think I'll need to get some rest to recover from such long trip." She stretched her arms up over her head briefly.

Aladdin yawned, which caused his sultan cap to dip over his eyes before he readjusted it over his brow. "Yeah, same here. I think Sultan and Genie have everything under control though. Looks like much hasn't changed since we've been gone."

When the arrived at the palace, the Sultan greeted them warmly. "I'm so happy that you two are finally home. Oh, and Aladdin, my boy, you have a visitor. He hasn't been waiting too long, so you're back just in time."

"Visitor?" Aladdin looked at Jasmine, who shrugged, looking as confused as he felt. "Did he say what he wanted?"

"Not much my boy, just that he wanted to meet you in particular."

"Okay, I guess I'll see what he wants. I'll be back in a little while, Jasmine."

Jasmine smiled. "I'll meet up with the others in the meantime. Hopefully nothing _too _crazy happened while we were gone."

Aladdin laughed. "Somehow, I don't know about that."

* * *

When Aladdin went into the throne room, he saw Phasir looking out over the skyline of Agrabah. He hadn't seen the fortune seer in quite some time. Phasir appeared lost in deep thought, stroking his beard absently. It was odd for him, because while the man was blind and wore a blindfold over where his eyes were supposed to be, he would usually know if someone would come up behind him. Even more odd, he'd know exactly who approached. No greeting came for Aladdin prematurely, so Aladdin greeted him first.

"Hey Phasir. The Sultan said you wanted to see me."

Phasir's expression brightened slowly. "Ah yes, Prince Aladdin. I trust you had a safe and healthy journey back to Agrabah?"

"You don't have to use the 'Prince,' you know? I guess I'm still not used to it." Aladdin ran his fingers through his dark hair. "But yeah, Jasmine and I just got back with Carpet."

"I do not mind the formality," Phasir said in earnest. Yet the seer's expression grew darker. "There is an urgent matter I must discuss with you, but I need to observe something before I speak of it. If I may ask you to accompany me to the city for a bit, that is if your journey has not worn you much? I would prefer if we could speak alone, if certain events are to take place."

Aladdin's brow lifted. "Uh, sure. No problem." In truth, the Prince had no idea what the seer wanted, but he decided it was for the best to follow him, for now.

Aladdin had changed into his street clothes and met with Phasir just outside the outskirts of the city near a fountain. The Agrabah skyline was growing darker with the night setting in, and merchants from the marketplace were either packing up their wares or talking and laughing in groups outside of the city walls.

Aladdin folded his arms across his chest as Phasir stood in front of the fountain, chanting several lines under his breath. When he was finished, he gestured for Aladdin to approach.

"Dip your hand into the fountain and watch what happens."

Aladdin studied the seer a moment before reluctantly placing his hand in the water of the fountain. It transformed quickly into a scene of Agrabah's streets, empty and during the night.

"What do you see?" Phasir asked.

"I see the city. Nothing unusual, just quiet. What is this supposed to...?" Aladdin paused as the scene suddenly changed in the reflection of the water. He realized it was starting to play back memories Aladdin recalled well - back to his first anniversary when Jasmine gave him the album she made by hand, when Genie had designed his suit for the banquet. Then he started seeing visions of his encounters with Grenden, the poison mystic who'd attacked Aladdin and his friends during Aladdin and Jasmine's first wedding anniversary. He'd placed Aladdin under a dire curse that almost cost the Prince his life, and had affected the city in many ways by the appearance of dark beasts made of shadows.

Yet what Aladdin saw in the vision suddenly turned to a rushing haze of darkness and shadow that seemed to rush toward him. He stumbled back and nearly fell, though he realized the water had returned to normal just as quickly as it had come.

"What was that supposed to mean?" Aladdin said under his breath.

"It is a relevant vision to a possible future. One that I cannot say much more about, as I do not know what it entails. But I believe you hold the key to that, Aladdin."

"Even with all that, Phasir, Grenden's gone. He's not coming back, and Lamrai's been shut off since then. The magic in those doors are old. Really the only being in Agrabah who could open them back up is Genie, and I know he won't because he doesn't like the nightmare beasts anymore than we do. They're the only thing that's left down there."

"That may be so, Aladdin, but I would ask that you'd be weary. I sense a darkness flowing over Agrabah in association with whatever visions you may have seen in the fountain. Therein lies a connection."

Aladdin felt his body tense. "What kind of connection?"

"That I do not know, but I felt I should warn you. I would watch what the realm of your dreams yield over the next few days. It may hold the key to either preventing or stopping that darkness. For if it goes ignored, we may be all in serious danger."

"Well, whatever it is, we'll work it out like we usually do. And even then...Hey!" Aladdin looked over his shoulder and realized that Phasir was gone.

He groaned. "I really hate it when he does that."

"When who does what?" Iago came flying around a nearby corner, perching himself on the edge of the fountain. "I figured you were talkin' to someone, but it wasn't me. I just came outta the Thieves Den. Might've gotten on Abis Mal's bad side, just warnin' ya."

Aladdin folded his arms across his chest, glaring at the bird. "Nice to see you too, Iago. What did you do this time?"

"Uhhh, other than maybe swipe a few gold coins, not much."

"_Iago_..."

"Look, he doesn't need the money, and he probably stole it from somebody. I was just doin' the right thing!"

Aladdin rolled his eyes. "Sure, you did."

"I still don't get why when_ you_ steal gold coins and give it to the poor, it's somehow right, but when I do it, it's all kinds of _wrong_! Does that not sound just a _teensy_ bit _hypocritical_?"

"You forget I don't steal anymore. And when was the last time you stole anything for anyone other than yourself?"

Iago's brow furrowed. "See, the thing is...Uhh...Okay, fine, I've got nothin'."

"I thought so. Hand 'em over." Aladdin held out his hand. Iago reluctantly gave him the small sack of coins. When Aladdin opened the sack, he saw there weren't many coins at all, but they were with strange engravings.

"Iago...these aren't any regular gold coins. Where did Abis Mal get these?"

"Beats me. He was trading some shady guy in the Thieves Den for 'em. I just swooped in and grabbed 'em. Didn't think twice, not even for Haroud tryin' to grab my feathers."

Aladdin studied one of the coins, thinking that the pattern seemed familiar. "I wonder if the palace library has anything about these. They seem, I don't know, like something I've seen before. I can't place it though."

"Y'know, now's a really good time to be thanking me. It's not that hard. All you've got to do is say," Iago paused, using his voice mimic abilities to imitate Aladdin. "Thanks Iago, I'm _really _grateful and I wouldn't mind kissing your claws for a ch-"

Aladdin clamped a hand over Iago's beak. "Thank you, Iago. But I'm not saying any of the rest of that. Come on, let's get back to the Palace before Abis Mal and Haroud figure out where you went."


	3. Chapter 2: Darker Yet Darker Still

**Chapter 2: Dark, Yet Darker Still**

Aladdin knew he had two more books to look through, but he tried to stifle a yawn as he compared the etchings on the coins to the ones in the books he flipped through.

Genie appeared over his shoulder with a magnifying glass. "What's cookin' Al? You're doing some pretty heavy investigative work. Pretty soon, we'll have to move you up past gumshoe. Uh, if you were wearing any shoes that is? Gumfoot or Gumboot just doesn't have the same ring to it."

Aladdin smiled. "I'm just trying to figure out what pattern's on these coins that Iago stole from Abis Mal. They're familiar to me, but I can't figure them out."

Genie aimed his magnifying glass to one of the coins. "Well, let's see here...hey, they look kinda familiar to me too."

"May've been somewhere we went exploring if you remember it. I know it's on the tip of my tongue."

Genie made a show of appearing on the tip of Aladdin's tongue at that moment, and Aladdin had to keep his mouth open. Genie appeared to be examining Aladdin's tongue in a mini-me version of himself.

"Nope, I don't think there's anything on the tip of your tongue, Al. Though this does make for a good diving board."

Aladdin's brows narrowed. "Geneh, get off mah tongue." His voice sounded weird because he was trying to talk with his mouth open and tongue stuck out.

Genie shrugged. "Okay. Cannonball!" Genie lept off Aladdin's tongue onto a page that had a coin with what looked like a water symbol on it. Though the coin shifted into a pool of water that Genie lazily swam around in on the page.

Aladdin coughed a few times, before speaking again. "Still, I think...wait a minute. I might be looking in the wrong place. There's still one section I haven't looked at yet." Aladdin rose from his chair and went through another few shelves of books, grabbing one and blowing the dust off the cover.

He opened it, slowly making his way back to the table where Genie looked over Aladdin's shoulder in his usual form. "That looks like one of the books about Lamrai."

Aladdin jabbed a finger on one of the pages. "That's where we know it from, look at the patterns."

"So, you're thinking the short stubby guy with his turban wrapped too tight might've went underground diving to find those?"

Aladdin shook his head. "I don't know. From what Iago said, Abis Mal was trying to trade these coins to someone, but not sure who."

"Gee, that sounds shady," Genie muttered, folding his arms across his chest.

Aladdin ran his fingers through his hair. "The only thing I can think of us doing is see what link these coins have with Lamrai. Either we're gonna have to get it out of Abis Mal and Haroud or go down there ourselves. Or both."

Genie's eyes bulged. "Uh, kid, I hate to remind you, I'm not too worried about you tangling with the usual characters, but you don't exactly have a great history with Lamrai. And I'm not opening any doors down there - it's got creepy things lurking behind every corner." Genie transformed into one of the shadowmonsters Aladdin remembered attacking him during the time Grenden was alive.

Aladdin winced. "Yeah Genie, but what else are we gonna do? We can't just ignore it."

"Who says?"

Aladdin opened his mouth to speak, but thought better of it. He hadn't told anyone about his meeting with Phasir, and he didn't want to jump to too many conclusions, especially on a vision that wasn't confirmed or something he didn't know more about. "I just don't want this to be something that ends up falling into the wrong hands, especially if we don't know what they're for yet."

Genie transformed into a general, doing a mock salute. "You can count on me to guard these coins and make sure that not another thing touches them. They'll be under lock and key...At least until I figure out where I put the keys."

Aladdin caught a glimpse of something shining under the table, scowled, then reached and pulled the object from beneath it. "Is this what you're looking for?"

Genie's grin widened. "Yep, I was wondering where they went. I guess they have the tendency to fly away at any given moment."

Aladdin folded his arms across his chest, skeptical because Genie was known to lose things, but then his eyes widened when he saw the key ring sprout wings.

Genie sighed. "See, told ya."

* * *

Aladdin twirled one of the coins from Lamrai between his fingers as his head rested on Jasmine's lap. She threaded her fingers through his hair and looked down at him with a concerned expression.

"So you're saying Abis Mal and Haroud are behind this?"

Aladdin shrugged. "Seems that way. In any case, Genie told me we could check it out tomorrow, see if there are any leads around the area. I think as long as we avoid opening up any of the doors down there, we should be fine."

"In that case, I want to go with you."

Aladdin raised a brow. "You're worried about me." He didn't phrase it as a question, since Jasmine's expression clued him into her thoughts.

"Why wouldn't I be? Considering the last time you were down there...well..."

Aladdin sat up, cupping one side of Jasmine's face with his hand. "Jasmine, I'm fine. Really. Grenden's not here anymore and we don't have anything to worry about. Besides, Genie says as long as those doors stay closed, nothing'll go in or come out. And as long as everyone in Agrabah's safe, that's all that matters."

Jasmine smiled. "You're right. But it still worries me where Abis Mal and Haroud got those coins in the first place."

"Maybe they dug in some random corner in the Akbut underground and found them. I don't know. I'm pretty sure they didn't realize what they found, though."

Jasmine rested her chin between her thumb and forefinger on one hand, thoughtful. "What did the books you found about them say exactly?"

"Something about being used for old magic rituals. They didn't specify too many, but one of them had something to do with keeping the Akbut far underground from where people dwelled, and for good reason. That's one of why we didn't see them for a long time until that time Agrabah had that big quake. A special magic kept our realms separate for a time, but I guess the spell wore off somehow."

Jasmine's brows rose. "So could that magic still work now?"

Aladdin shrugged. "Maybe, but it seems like an old kind of magic. Genie recognized the coins, but I didn't think to ask him about the rituals or who could use them. Maybe we should..._whoa_!"

Jasmine gasped as she saw something zip past Aladdin, so fast that it missed his head and ruffled his hair.

"What was that?" Jasmine cried.

They both saw the thing zip past them around the room, and it seemed like it wanted to dive at both Aladdin and Jasmine both.

"Duck!" Aladdin cried, and they lowered their heads as the fast moving creature flew above them and zipped past again. Aladdin couldn't focus long enough to see what it was, but Jasmine caught the clearest glimpse of it as it circled around, trying to get another chance to take a swipe at them.

"It's...a scarab beetle. A red and purple one. I've never seen one that looked like that," she said.

"Yeah, well, I never met a scarab beetle that was so unfriendly." Aladdin ducked again as it zipped past him. "How did it get in here anyway?"

"I don't know, but maybe Genie can...Aladdin, look out!"

Instead of going towards their heads on its next approach, the beetle swiped the back of Aladdin's hand, making him drop the coin that he held. Aladdin flinched, and realized the beetle had drawn blood somehow, from the newly formed cut on the back of his hand.

At the same time, the beetle seemed to scoop up the coin that Aladdin had dropped, and satisfied with it, carried it up and out of the area.

"Aladdin, are you okay?" Jasmine eyed the wound on Aladdin's hand, but it didn't seem too serious.

Aladdin nodded. "Yeah, but that thing just took one of the coins from Lamrai!" Aladdin scowled. "Somehow I don't think that was a coincidence."

* * *

"Well done, my pretty. You've brought me two things I've needed to make this work. Aladdin's blood and one of the coins needed for the ritual." Jatika stood in his transformed form as Grenden, wearing a hood and cloak over him as he stood in the middle of the empty Agrabah marketplace that evening. He turned to face his particularly interesting company - A short stout man who called himself Abis Mal and a taller man who called himself Haroud.

"It seems you were right, sir. Aladdin was indeed in possession of those coins, thanks to that infernal parrot," Haroud said.

"Grr. _ I knew it! I knew it! _Aladdin ruins everything! I wanna make his blood...Um...Uh..." Abis Mal struggled to try to find the words to follow his threat, but to no avail.

Jatika-Grenden was easy to finish it. "Blood bubble and sucked dry?"

Abis Mal raised a curious brow. "Yeah, hey, that's a good one. Kinda dark, but nice. I think I'm liking your style. So how did you say you knew the kid again?"

Jatika-Grenden laughed. "Let's just say I have an old score to settle with the boy and his friends. I can tell you that they certainly won't be expecting to see me." Indeed they wouldn't, in Jatika's mind. Because he knew Aladdin and his friends believed Grenden was dead. But he needed to keep up this guise for two reasons - because he knew that would be the best way of shaking Aladdin and his friends the most, and because he needed an alliance with two of Aladdin's foes. If they knew who he really was - an imp - they would not be likely to work with him. As a sorcerer - more specifically a poison mystic - well, that was a different story.

"So what kind of magic do you hope to use with that coin you gained?" Haroud asked of Jatika-Grenden.

"The boy's blood and the coin will reactivate a curse I once placed on Aladdin a year ago, around the time of his anniversary. He will be able to see and be vulnerable to the nightmare beasts from Lamrai. Only him. I wanted to use the other coins to make the others just as vulnerable, but I think starting with him will be a perfect start for this plan of vengeance."

"I hope you don't think you're doing this alone, Grenden. I wanna have some fun getting revenge on Aladdin," Abis Mal complained. "I wanna make Aladdin squirm...Uh..Ummm..."

Haroud rolled his eyes. "At the end of his rope, sir?"

"Yes, yes, right Haroud. At the end of his rope. I was gonna say that, you know?"

Haroud sighed. "Indeed, sir."

Jatika-Grenden held up a hand. "This will only take a moment of chanting the spell, now that I have the proper pieces. Though it may take some time for it to work its effect on Aladdin's body." He grinned wickedly. "He won't even know what hit him, and then our plan will be set in motion."

"Does that mean we'll have to enter the palace?" Abis Mal asked.

Jatika - Grenden shook his head. "No, I don't think you'll have to worry about us going to them. They'll come to us. Then we'll make our move."


	4. Chapter 3: Curses, Beasts, and Enemies

**Chapter 3: Curses, Beasts, and Enemies, Oh Drat**

"So, what's it gonna be, do we split exit stage left, or stage right?" Iago said as he stood on Jasmine shoulder. Jasmine cut her eyes at him, but couldn't help but think that he was right about one thing - they needed to split up at this point in the path towards Lamrai.

Aladdin looked over his shoulder, scowling. "Iago, we haven't even been down here that long, maybe we need to travel together and then come back around."

Genie scratched his head. "Eh, I think the bird's got a point, Al. I don't think we wanna be down here longer than we have to. This place give me the creeps even if I don't see any sign of the beastly figures."

Aladdin took a long slow breath. "Okay then. Abu, Genie, you guys are sticking with me going left. Jasmine, Iago, and Carpet, you guys take the right. I guess we can meet in the wrap around and then see if we find anything."

Jasmine folded her arms across her chest, one brow raised. "And if we see any sign of Abis Mal or Haroud?"

Aladdin grinned. "I guess that would be a sign for us to figure out what he's up to. Jasmine, if you see them, try to follow them as far as you can. I don't think you wanna tangle with them, unless..."

Jasmine examined her hand casually. "I think you underestimate me, Aladdin."

Genie whistled. "Yep, no one messes with the Princess of Agrabah." He transformed her into a rocker chick with a big guitar. "Yeah, buddy, rock & roll! Go-oo Jasmine! Rock on!"

Aladdin laughed. "Genie, cut it out. Just be careful, you guys. We'll be around the way if you need us."

Jasmine smiled. "You too. Don't get into too much trouble."

Aladdin put a hand to his chest in mock surprise. "_Me?_ Trouble? No way." Abu snickered, holding a paw to his mouth.

Iago rolled his eyes.

* * *

"Well, fellow explorers, I don't see any signs of those rootin'-tootin' rascals anywhere. Now where did I put my hat?" Genie - dressed as a cowboy - peered around one of the turns of the underground where Aladdin and Abu followed him.

"Anything?" Aladdin asked.

Genie reverted to his normal form. "Nothing. I'm starting to think that maybe they didn't find those coins down here. They may not even know it'd had a link to this place."

"But _we_ know. That scarab that attacked Jasmine and me took that coin for a reason. I bet it traces back to Abis Mal, somehow. If they have that one, they'll want the others." Aladdin surveyed the area, his eyes moving up and down the curved walls. He found one of the few doors to Lamrai, approached it, and ran his hand around the markings on the door. "It's hard to believe a year ago we were just in the realm beyond this door. After everything that happened." His voice carried a sadness to it that made Abu whimper sympathetically.

Genie immediately snatched Aladdin up, put him down a distance away and stood in front of the door. "Nope, nuh-uh. Ixnay on touching. That would be bad." Genie turned himself into several flashing neon "No" signs. Which interestingly enough had all the variations of "no" even in languages Aladdin couldn't begin to understand.

Aladdin held up his hands. "Hey, you touching it would be one thing; me, not so much." Even still, Aladdin didn't approach the door further after Genie had plucked him away. Abu scurried on the ground, ambling behind Genie's leg as he looked between them both.

Genie eyed the door suspiciously. "Maybe, but I still don't trust the magic in this thing." He put his hands on the door, and after a moment of being lost in thought, his eyes went wide.

"What's wrong, Genie?"

"Somebody opened this door not very long ago. That is not good."

Aladdin's body tensed. "How do you know?"

"Since these doors have a very old magic system, they leave kind of a magic trace, like a footprint, whenever someone opens or closes them. This footprint was on here as early as yesterday. It wasn't coming out, it was going in. And whoever went in could work this door's old magic. Which means they could potentially access the same level of power I could." Genie's voice was anxious, and he had a hard frown on his face. Abu screeched with just as much anxiety.

"Can you tell who went in?" Aladdin asked.

Genie's expression softened. "Maybe if I still had my phenomenal cosmic power, I could, but nope. No can do, kiddo."

Aladdin tried to run through a possible list in his mind of those he knew could access that power, but he couldn't think of anyone, at least not without some kind of mystic aid. "Maybe that's why Abis Mal and Haroud wanted those coins."

Genie shrugged. "Somehow I don't think those two could have access to anything that could break this door's seal, Al, not even through those coins. But they might be in the company of someone who might." He swallowed hard, transforming into a an oversized kid with a beanie hat knocking his knees together. Genie's voice sounded then like a tiny kid's. "I'm scared. I'm really, really, _really_ scared."

Aladdin put a hand on Genie's trembling shoulder. "Genie, you don't have anything to be afraid of. We'll be okay. Trust me."

"Easy for you to say, poofy-haired princely one."

The three made their way further along the path, but Aladdin couldn't help but notice something odd as they went along. "I don't remember there being this many doors to Lamrai being down here. I thought they all disappeared when Grenden did. Except for the main one we saw a little while ago."

Genie looked puzzled. "You know, you're right. Even when I was down here looking to see if there were any spare Ankbut that might've scurried up by accident, there was just the main door we saw back there. That was it."

"You think whoever accessed that door opened up all these other ones?"

"Might be." Genie swallowed hard. "Uh, kid, you seem less nervous about this than I do."

Aladdin stopped walking. "I don't know if it's me not being nervous as it is that maybe...never mind."

"Al...You're not hiding something again, are you? You know what happened the last time we were down here and you didn't tell us anything." Genie's expression was cross, but his voice was light. Aladdin knew all too well, considering Grenden had been the one who had made him keep several secrets from his friends while under a curse that nearly cost him his life.

Aladdin sighed, figuring the gig was up for him and he had to tell Genie about what Phasir had said in the Marketplace. "Okay, fine. It's just that I saw Phasir in the Marketplace the other day and well..."

Before he could say more Aladdin felt a rush of something inside him that stopped him cold. He felt his head swimming and suddenly Phasir's words came back to him.

_I would watch what the realm of your dreams yield over the next few days. It may hold the key to either preventing or stopping that darkness. For if it goes ignored, we may be all in serious danger._

Then his vision went from the interior of the cave to a series of images like he'd seen at the fountain with Phasir. He remembered seeing something like this before - pictures of things that were in the past with their encounters with Grenden, but he realized something else. There were newer images, things he hadn't seen before. Abis Mal and Haroud were just a part of it in some flashes, that was certain - it was taking place either in the present day or in an event that hadn't happened yet. The images came faster than he could keep up with at first, but then one image came clearly in his vision. He could see Abis Mal standing among several of the shadowbeasts from Lamrai, and a figure who seemed to turn over his shoulder to look at something a distance away. Aladdin's blood ran cold with the recognition of the figure.

_Grenden._

Then the image faded to a blinding white light.

* * *

"Carpet!" Jasmine cried as the magic rug suddenly staggered in midair than dropped like a rock to the sands of the cave. It really wasn't a far fall to the ground, but it caught the Princess by surprise. She was able to recover into a roll, while Iago - with a sharp cry - automatically took to flying.

Carpet lay motionless on the ground.

"What the...? Is he _sleepin'_? Rugs don't sleep!" Iago said.

Jasmine gave him a side eye glance. "They don't usually fly either, but Carpet's an exception. Why would he suddenly fall asleep like that? In the middle of flying, even?"

"You're askin' the wrong bird. Maybe his fibers are stretched or somethin'."

Jasmine heard voices from the path beyond them and hushed Iago quiet. Their voices weren't far away and they were approaching quickly to where they were.

Jasmine was absolutely sure she recognized one of them being Abis Mal.

"Quick, we have to hide, they're coming closer," she hissed. She took the opportunity to roll up Carpet, who still seemed to be limp in a sleep state, and duck behind a few mounds of rock in the underground path. Iago followed her, just as Abis Mal, Haroud, and another cloaked figure rounded the corner.

Abis Mal looked apprehensive. "Are you sure that curse thingy's worked by now? And where exactly are we gonna find those coins again? You said we could get them for a pretty penny as long as they were intact."

The cloaked figure cleared his throat, clearly displeased. "I can sense the coins close by. They're here, it's just a matter of finding them so the next phase of our plan can be arranged. And I've already activated the magic of the curse. They should be under a sleeping spell by now. Only temporary."

"Sleep spell? Hey, that's what happened to the rug!" Iago said, his voice in a harsh whisper. "Whoever that guy is, he somehow made Carpet go into dreamland."

Jasmine nodded, her brows narrowed. "The question is how he did it and why Carpet's under a curse at all. They want the coins that you stole earlier."

"How was I supposed to know those coins weren't your run of the mill gold? And anyway, maybe we should find the kid and the blue boy and hand 'em over. I don't wanna be a part of any curse. I'd rather not be sleepin' for the next 10,000 years. Sleep might be kind for my complexion, but not for that long." He ran his wings over his face.

Jasmine's eyes widened in recognition. "If Carpet's under this sleep spell, what do you think happened with Aladdin, Abu and Genie?"

"Beats me. Maybe it's one of those magic user curses or somethin'."

Haroud's voice broke their dialogue. "Did you hear something? I think it might've come from a little bit ahead of us. "

Jasmine and Iago quickly fell silent. Carpet still remained immobile, rolled up at Jasmine's knelt form behind the rock.

"I didn't hear anything, Haroud." The cloaked figure said. "In any case, I will leave you two to deliver the coins to me personally. Do not fail me. You may not be able to see the beasts yourselves until you find me in Lamrai, but they will help you subdue the boy and gain leverage for the coins. Then our plan can begin."

"What about the Genie?" Abis Mal said, gulping. "He's given us way too many problems in the past. We can't face off against him if he's with the kid."

The figure chuckled. "Don't worry. I have a way of dealing with the Genie...personally."

Jasmine realized that she recognized the voice of the cloaked figure a little more the longer he talked, but before she could get a glimpse of him, he suddenly disappeared into a shadowy mass, leaving Haroud and Abis Mal alone.

"So basically, we find the kid, we find the coins, then bring them back to the sorcerer. Easy," Abis Mal said with confidence. But just as soon as he spoke the words, he looked dubious. "Now which way might he have gone in this place? So dark, you can't barely see your way around in here."

Haroud sighed. "If I may make a suggestion, sir. We could go north to find them among the doors to Lamrai."

"Yes, yes, right. Glad I thought of it. Lead the way, Haroud!"

Jasmine narrowed her eyes as she watched them disappear past them. "We need to follow them and warn Aladdin what's going on. I don't know who that sorcerer was, but he definitely didn't sound friendly."

"He definitely didn't sound like someone Mozenrath knows either. Just as scary though. But what are we gonna do with the rug?" Iago asked.

Jasmine sighed. "We'll have to carry him with us. I'll admit it's a little strange that we're going to end up carrying him instead of the other way around, but we don't have any choice until he wakes up."

Iago wasn't expecting for Jasmine to hand Carpet's rolled up form to his claws. The sudden weight made him drop like a rock to the sands. Iago had to beat his wings just to support dragging along Carpet.

"Oh sure, _make me_ do all the heavy lifting while the Princess keeps her hands free. And you can afford to_ lose a few_, ya big palooka." Iago grumbled to Carpet as he followed Jasmine to where Abis Mal and Haroud disappeared.


	5. Chapter 4: Hostages

**Chapter 4: Hostages**

Genie realized Aladdin was awake and came rushing to his side. "Man, for whatever reason, I must've missed the memo for the slumber party."

Aladdin's voice sounded tired. "Genie, what happened?"

"Well, you were trying to tell me something about Phasir, but suddenly you just stopped talking, like you were in a trance or something. Then you fell. I came up to catch you, and the monkey came running too, but then he fell out like you did. I guess whatever sleep wave was going around, it didn't affect me."

Aladdin looked around to see Abu was still in something of a sleep state.

"Oh no, Abu!" Aladdin scooped the monkey in his arms. "What do you think it was?" He asked, turning to Genie.

Genie shrugged sadly. "Ever since you guys went out, the doors to Lamrai have been acting pretty crazy." Genie pointed to where there were several doors to Lamrai, appearing and disappearing, with glowing pulses that flickered in and out.

Aladdin couldn't believe the sight either.

"Whoever must be on the other side's gotta be doing it." Genie made a motion with his hands, like rolling up imaginary sleeves. "I may not be able to figure out who's doing it, but the magic might be able to tell me something else."

Genie walked up to the main door of Lamrai, placing his hands on the door as he'd done before. But not even two seconds after he touched it, the door started glowing brighter, and even while closed, something about it was sucking Genie through it.

"Genie!" Aladdin cried.

"_Help!_"

Abu happened to wake at that very moment, startled. He leapt out of Aladdin's arms before the Prince could say anything, and tried to help Genie against the force that was pulling him through the door. Aladdin came beside him, pulling as hard as he could, but Genie's body stretched like a rubber band, even as they tried to pull him away from the door.

The more Aladdin tried to pull Genie, the greater the force became. It wasn't long before Aladdin lost his grip, which sent him tumbling backward. Not only was Genie pulled through the glowing door, but Abu, who hadn't let go of Genie, was sent tumbling through as well. The multiple doors disappeared, leaving just the main door.

"NO!" Aladdin ran up to the door, placing his hands upon it, but it didn't react any more. "Genie...Abu..." He clenched his fists at his sides. "I've gotta find a way inside."

"We might be able to arrange a deal with that."

Aladdin turned to the familiar voice, his fists even tighter as he saw Abis Mal and Haroud coming from one corner of the path near the door.

"I figured you're the one behind this, Abis Mal."

"Well, you could say that. Not so powerful now without your Genie or your monkey friend, your highness. Am I right Haroud?"

Haroud nodded. "Indeed, sir. And may I add that we actually know how to reach beyond that door to get to your captured friends. It would require the use of a certain set of coins in your possession."

Abis Mal frowned. "I was gonna say that. Why do you always have to take away my fun? I wanted to see him squirm."

Aladdin ignored him, his arms folded across his chest. "Why should I believe you?"

"Don't Aladdin, it's a trap!" Jasmine came around the same corner, rushing to his side. Not long after her, Iago flew in, dragging Carpet through the sands with his claws. He seemed to be struggling, beating his wings furiously and panting. But Carpet chose that moment to stir, and Iago looked none too pleased about it.

"I just got through _dragging_ you all the way here, and then you decide to wake up NOW? I'm the one that needs sleep. I am _never_ dragging along a piece of upholstery _ever again_." Iago fell from midair, but Carpet grabbed him in time and patted the top of the bird's head with one of his knobs.

"Jasmine, are you okay?" Aladdin asked, holding her in his arms.

"Yeah, but those guys are just trying to get the coins for their own benefit. They were talking with a sorcerer earlier."

Aladdin winced. "Well Genie and Abu disappeared through the door, that was another part of their plan."

Abis Mal grinned. "Yes, but you don't know why we want those coins. Let's just say we struck a deal, and you're a part of it."

"I want nothing to do with it!" Aladdin snapped. "What kind of deal would have you kidnapping my friends? And who's the sorcerer you were dealing with?"

"That's for us to know, and for you to find out," Abis Mal said, a sly smile crossing his lips. "Besides, he was the one who said he wanted to meet you. Wanted it to be a surprise."

Jasmine squeezed Aladdin's arm. "I saw him, and he sounded familiar, but I couldn't tell who he was. Sorry Aladdin."

Aladdin shook his head. "Don't be." Aladdin reached inside his tunic, weighing the sack of special coins in his palms.

"Wait, you're just gonna give it to him?" Iago said.

"I don't think we have much of a choice." Aladdin's tone sounded regretful, though he tossed the sack of coins at Abis Mal's feet. "That's all of them, except for the one that your scarab beetle took when it attacked us."

Haroud pulled a coin from one of his pockets. "I believe this is the coin you speak of. Though it was of the sorcerer's magic that took it. Now, sir, be a good little villain and speak the incantation once you add this coin to the sack." Haroud gave the coin to Abis Mal, who seemed all too eager to grab it, but wasn't so eager to approach the Lamrai door.

"These coins are so lovely. Why don't we just cut our losses and leave the kid hanging?" Abis Mal muttered under his breath. "We don't even know what's beyond that door. There could be..._monsters_." He gulped loudly.

Haroud sighed, as if the answer were a foregone conclusion. "Of course, he said there would be monsters, sir. But they don't seek to harm _us_. And you forgot his promise of the sacred treasures that lie in Lamrai."

Abis Mal perked up. "That's right, he did say that. Well, I'm gonna be the first to get to them. Mine, mine, mine."

Haroud rolled his eyes as he watched Abis Mal saunter confidently to the door, holding up the sack of coins and reciting the incantation they'd learned from earlier.

Aladdin, Jasmine, Carpet and Iago all watched in awe as the door glowed a bright light, then vanished, leaving a doorway with tendrils of darkness flowing out of it.

Whatever confidence Abis Mal had faded just as quick as the door. His knees started knocking and teeth chattered at the sight. Fortunately, it was up to Haroud to give him a little push through the door, where he disappeared quickly.

"Come, quickly - this door won't remain open for long." Haroud disappeared quickly into the darkness.

Aladdin took a shaky breath of his own, stiffening to attention. "Come on. Let's go."

They all followed through the dark door.


	6. Chapter 5: Out of the Fire

**Chapter 5: Out of the Fire**

Genie woke, realizing he was in a cramped space in a magic study, an orb hanging over a desk like a lantern. He tried to stretch out his limbs, but realized it was an anti-magic bubble.

His lower lip jutted out in a pout. "Great, Al and the monkey were trying to warn me, and now I'm stuck in a magic trap. That's what I get for touching things willy-nilly. " He saw several bookcases, even a few portraits of Grenden, like the area hadn't been touched since the poison mystic had been down there.

The door to the room was closed, the area dark, but Genie saw a shadow of something scurry under the door frame. The familiar monkey started screeching low, though frantic, as he approached.

"Heey, Abu! Wait, if you're here, that means you guys followed me. Where's Al?"

Abu shook his head. "No, no, no, no." He covered his mouth as if he wanted Genie to be quiet.

Genie raised a brow, his voice more of a whisper. "What are you trying to tell me? Is someone out there?" Before Abu could respond, a voice interrupted them both.

"I know you're near, monkey, and you'd better come out if you know what's good for you." The voice beyond the door was muffled, but Genie winced because of the power of it. Abu found a space behind a nearby bookcase to hide, just before the door threw open.

Genie yelped at the sight of the figure standing in the door frame, who met Genie gaze and grinned. The sorcerer was as Genie remembered meeting him for the first time, not as flesh and bone, but as the human prince he'd once been.

"Wide awake, I see. A pleasure meeting you again, Genie."

"Grenden, heh, last time I checked you were..."

"Dead?" The poison mystic answered, his approach slow and confident. "Well, let's just say that vengeance has a way of bringing things back to life, myself included. A little magic doesn't hurt either."

Genie sighed. "Yeah, pesky vengeance, something we could all do with a little less of. Maybe you should try something different for a change? I heard hugs work wonders."

Grenden ignored him. "Where's the monkey?"

Genie pretended not to know, so not to draw attention from where Abu winced behind the bookcase. "Nope, no monkeys here, not even when I was in dreamland."

"Maybe you need to open your eyes a _little_ more." Grenden raised a hand, and Genie yelped as magic stung at him from all sides in the orb. Abu covered his mouth with both paws to keep from screeching.

"Definitely wide awake. No monkeys, nada." Genie winced as the magic stopped.

Grenden snorted. "He'll show soon enough if he knows what's good for the both of you. Even then, I'm more concerned about the prince and his company in my lair."

"Al's here?"

Grenden paced around the room, his eyes moving along the shelves, as if he expected to find Abu behind one of the books. "He followed you both, according to plan. Funny how he's so predictable to follow his friends even into an obvious trap. And none of them know the horrors that I'm going to show them and the whole of Agrabah for what they've done to me."

Abu scurried along the floor, darting between the backs and underbellies of the shelves. At one point, Grenden's shadow passed so close that his fur bristled. He tried to keep from whimpering.

Genie felt his insides pinch. "Does Al know you're alive?"

Grenden stopped pacing, smiling almost to himself. "I'm very certain he doesn't. I wanted to surprise him. Seems fitting a welcome for his arrival into my home again, is it not? I can't be responsible for how he or any of your friends take that truth, though. Even if it means a few _losses_ along the way."

"Look," Genie said, trying to draw attention from Grenden's search, "I know it's kinda common for villany guys like you to have grudges, but don't you think you're taking this out on Al just a _teensy bit_ too much? I mean, I know we tried to destroy you before, what with you stealing other princes' souls, but you could try talking..."

"We are _past_ the point of _any_ discussion, _you fool_!" Grenden snapped, his cape flowing around him as he faced Genie directly, eyes glowing red. His voice was so loud that it made Abu nearly cry out. The monkey kept his paws covered over his mouth as he lay on his stomach under a nearby bookshelf. Genie saw Abu in his line of vision, shaking like a tiny branch in the middle of a hurricane, eyes wide.

Grenden's calm returned, the glow in his eyes regressing to normal. "No matter. It's high time I dealt with them personally. As for you, I'm keeping you out of the way because of your tendency to be a nuisance."

"I guess this is the part where you're going to tell me your masterly evil plan, because I can't do anything anyway?" Genie stuck his fingers inside his ears and frowned. "Not interested."

Grenden shrugged casually, grinning to Genie's surprise. "Fine then, that's your choice." The sorcerer leaned close to Genie's form in the orb, making Genie shrink back. "But I will tell you my immediate plan. I'm going to find that infernal monkey of yours and pluck _every last patch_ of fur from him if he _thinks_ of warning them of my arrival. I'll just have to find Aladdin before he does. If you see the one you call Abu, you can be sure to tell him that."

Genie swallowed hard, but didn't say anything.

Grenden turned, his cape fluttering behind him, and slammed the door.

After waiting a few moments, Genie breathed with relief. "Man, is it just me, or did getting destroyed really put a dent in his side? And here I was thinking he'd reveal his plan if I told him I wasn't interested. Weird, that always works with villains in the movies."

Abu crawled out of his hiding space, whimpering softly.

"Monkey boy, I hate to break it to you, but you're the only one who could warn Al that Grenden's alive right now. I would, but I'm kinda stuck. You're just gonna have to find some way to keep your fur in the meantime."

Abu shook his head. "No, no, no." He pointed to Genie's magic prison. It looked like a large flower over the desk, a curved stem with a gold coat, with the bulb of the flower being the orb that trapped Genie.

"Nah, I don't think there's an easy way to get me out," Genie said, trying to stretch against the sides of the the orb. "I always end up in one of these magic limiting thingamajigs when bad things happen."

Abu eyed the structure, climbing the gold stem until he was perched above Genie's orb. He noticed that the orb was held by five strong prongs, which gave Abu an idea. He started screeching excitedly to Genie.

"Ooh, try that!" Genie encouraged. Abu pulled at the first prong, bending it back enough that the orb started to shift.

Genie transformed into a series of tiny cheerleaders in the orb. "Go, go, Abu, let's smash an orb, through and through!"

Abu sighed, recovering from the effort of the first one, then started working on the others.

* * *

"Genie! Abu!" Aladdin's voice echoed in the turns of the underground palace. They'd all arrived without incident, though they could all hear Abis Mal's knees knocking together, alongside his whimpers.

Iago cringed. "Geez, just _announce_ to the enemy that we're _all_ here. Fine plan you've got there."

Aladdin looked annoyed. "I'm not going to let some unnamed sorcerer think he can mess with me or my friends. If he's too much of a coward to reveal his name or show himself to us, then that's his deal. We're not the ones hiding. I'm not giving up until I know where they are." His fists balled at his sides.

Jasmine squeezed Aladdin's arm gently. "I know you're worried. We'll find them. But we don't even know the first place to look."

Aladdin motioned over his shoulder. "We don't, but they might."

Abis Mal and Haroud followed Aladdin, Jasmine, Carpet, and Iago from behind. Abis Mal's expression frequently transitioned from awe at the decorations of the underground palace, and fear of where they were going.

Aladdn looked over his shoulder. "Do you know where this 'sorcerer' who wants to meet us is?"

Haroud nodded. "He said to meet him in the throne room."

Aladdin turned to face him. "We've been there before, so we know where it is. I'm just wondering why he's telling us to meet him, rather than him meet us."

Jasmine sighed, her hands holding the sides of her arms. "Yeah, it's not like the original owner's around to see this place anymore. I'm starting to wonder who would capture Genie and Abu just for the chance to meet with us."

Aladdin squeezed her hand in his. "We'll find out soon enough."

They walked the familiar turns of the area, past the area where Grenden used to keep the crystals of captive souls, and towards Grenden's old throne room.

None of them expected the sight before them when they came across an area full of shadow beasts.

Abis Mal was the first to yell in alarm, leaping up into Haroud's arms. Haroud flinched, probably both at the sight of the beasts as well as how heavy Abis Mal was.

Apparently, that was all it took for the beasts to notice the lot of them, snarling and hissing as they advanced slowly.

Aladdin turned in anger. "You guys led us into a_ trap_?"

Abis Mal winced. "We weren't expecting this."

Iago's eyes widened, his voice shaky. "That makes all of us."

The beasts roared and rushed forward.


	7. Chapter 6: Trouble, Trouble, Trouble

**Chapter 6: Trouble, Trouble, Trouble**

"Carpet, let's go!" Aladdin called out. While Iago flew above the advancing beasts, everyone else, including Abis Mal and Haroud, boarded Carpet as they sped off. Aladdin wasn't happy about the tentative alliance with their enemies, but they didn't really have much time to debate it.

"They're _gaining_! Fly faster, _fly faster_, you stupid rug!" Abis Mal cried.

"I don't remember them being this fast!" Jasmine said, her hair blowing behind her.

Aladdin held onto Carpet's edge tight. "I think it's because they've been cooped up in here for so long. Probably gives them a reason to chase after us." He winced. "That and I think Abis Mal's fear is attracting them."

Haroud raised a brow. "How is that possible?"

"They sense fear and attack - they're made of nightmares. Back when they chased and attacked me a year ago, that's how they followed me. If you're not afraid of them, if you fight them, sometimes that's enough to make them disappear."

Haroud considered that. "Seems simple enough, so why are we fleeing them?"

"There are too many to fight off, even for all of us. And in Grenden's lair, they have more power. I don't know how, considering, but..." Aladdin trailed off as he saw Iago struggling to keep up with them.

"Ya think you could fly a _little slower_ so I know where you're going? Don't leave me behind already! I don't wanna be _shadow canine food_."

Aladdin scowled at him, but at the last second, he caught something from below that surprised him. The shadow beasts were trying to climb each other as they ran to reach Carpet's edge. They weren't all that successful, but one determined beast used his momentum to leap on the backs of two beast, strike the wall, and leap towards Carpet trying to mount Carpet along with the rest of them.

"Duck!" Aladdin cried, and while the beast sailed past them, he crashed straight into Iago, knocking him to the ground below where the beasts advanced.

"Iago!" Jasmine cried, but Aladdin was quick to respond. He leapt from Carpet and straight into mass of beasts to reach where Iago cried out. The beast that struck him had actually clawed his wing, so he couldn't fly well from the injury. He was trying his best to evade the beasts as their jaws and claws barely missed him.

"Hang on, Iago, I'm coming!" Aladdin cried. A few of the beasts tried to throw themselves in Aladdin's path, but he dodged quite a few of them, even leaping from back to back of where they clustered to get to Iago faster.

Aladdin was able to throw himself in a roll, grabbing Iago in one of his arms, and recover fast enough to run ahead of the racing beasts.

"Geez, I'd say you were my hero if you weren't _pinching_ my bad wing," Iago said, flinching.

"Sorry, but in case you didn't notice, we have company," Aladdin said, looking back over his shoulder. Carpet and the others were still behind him, and the beasts were starting to close the distance. He kept running.

"This is one of those times when I wish I was in the palace all by my lonesome enjoying a nice feast. Why can't that be a normal thing in Agrabah for once instead of facing off against whatever or whoever's tryin' to take over the city for the week?"

Aladdin groaned. "When we get out of here, a feast might be something to look forward to."

Iago winced again. "You mean, IF we get out of here. And there's no tellin' that. They're _gaining_ on us!"

Aladdin tried to see if there was any way they could slow down enough for Carpet to swoop down to get them, but they were still too far behind, and the beasts were close enough to Aladdin's heels to make him second guess that plan.

"Come on, Carpet, faster, we have to get to them!" Jasmine cried.

Carpet was trying to maneuver low enough to where they could get to Aladdin and Iago, but the beasts around them kept trying to either leap at where Abis Mal, Haroud and Jasmine were, or swipe at Carpet's underbelly. It was hard for them to clear the mass of beasts.

"Al, dead end, we're comin' to a dead end!" Iago cried. Aladdin realized it too late as he turned a sharp corner of the area. He managed to rip a spare decoration from the wall with one hand and throw it behind him, which slowed the momentum of some of the beasts, even causing some to disappear, but they pounded after Aladdin and Iago, their sharp howls echoing off the walls.

Aladdin realized for certain he'd had lead them to a dead end. A sick feeling filled the pit of his stomach. He whirled around, backing slowly as several beasts cornered them against a wall. Iago was still cradled in one of his arms, wincing with his bad wing.

"I really hope you have a plan, Prince of Agrabah, because this is not lookin' too good," Iago said.

"I haven't thought that far yet." Aladdin spoke between his teeth. He looked around the place they'd run to, but there didn't seem to be anywhere else to run, and he tried looking to see if there was a way he could run over the beasts, but he didn't want to hurt Iago any more than the bird already was. He also wasn't sure if he could keep balance by trying to run over or through them.

Iago, on the other hand, saw an opportunity, when he saw a slight indentation in a rock that looked like a trigger for something.

Iago sighed. "I know my mother always told me not to press random buttons, but I think in this case, there might be a need for an exception."

Aladdin's eyes widened in alarm. "Iago, don't! It might be a..."

Aladdin didn't get to finish his sentence as Iago pressed it with his good wing, sending them flying backward through a rocky trap door, which closed promptly as soon as they disappeared.

* * *

Abu pulled the last prong, which made the Genie's magic containment drop upon the desk, roll, then crash to the floor, shattering into sparkles that shimmered to nothing. Genie, finally free, stretched his limbs.

"Man, that really put a cramp in my back. But thanks, Abu."

Abu raced up to Genie's shoulder, screeching excitedly.

Genie nodded. "Right. We've gotta find Al and the others. I'm kinda hoping Grenden took a detour trying to look for you. We need all the help we can get warning the kid. I hope we aren't too late."

* * *

Jasmine, Carpet, Abis Mal and Haroud stared in disbelief as they realized that all the shadow beasts had simply vanished into thin air. It happened at the moment Iago and Abu had disappeared through the trap door.

"Can someone tell me what just happened?" Abis Mal said, a goofy puzzled expression twisting his features. His turban shifted on his head, which he had to fiddle a bit to readjust it.

Jasmine shook her head. "I don't know. We're safe for now, but...Aladdin, Iago..." She trailed off, but recovered long enough to run her fingers along Carpet's edge. "Carpet, take us down to where Aladdin and Iago were."

Carpet obliged, landing slowly and allowing Jasmine, Haroud, and Abis Mal to investigate.

Haroud examined the lever that Iago had pressed, even pressing it himself to see if any reaction would happen. But it didn't budge.

"It seems it doesn't work anymore, Princess. I imagine they disappeared to wherever the trap door led to."

"We'll just have to figure out if there's another route, then." She said firmly.

A low, familiar voice came from behind them, making Abis Mal jump, Carpet stiffen, Haroud flinch, and Jasmine gasp. "I think I might be able to arrange a meeting for all of you accordingly. Welcome back to my kingdom, _Princess_."

Jasmine turned, but didn't have time to react as a dark web of magic enclosed around her.


	8. Chapter 7: Reunion

**Chapter 7: Reunion**

Aladdin coughed as he slowly raised himself to his knees. He looked over to where Iago coughed nearby. A large puff of sand and dust settled around them from where they'd fallen. Aladdin realized they were probably in a hidden section of Grenden's palace, one they hadn't been to before. It made him wonder just how far, wide, and deep it actually was.

"Nice going, Iago, you shouldn't have pressed the _obvious_ _trap_!"

Iago glared at him. "_You_ should've had a _plan_! At least I did _something_."

"Maybe, but at least we knew what we were facing up there and could've fought a few of them before trying to backtrack." Aladdin squinted in the darkness. "Not exactly sure what's down here."

"We nearly get_ skewered_ by dozens of shadows with _claws and teeth_ and you're worried about whatever's _down here_?"

The area vibrated slightly, causing small rocks to rain down around them.

Aladdin raised a brow. "You were saying?"

Iago grinned nervously.

The vibrations started picking up in intensity, and Aladdin realized what would happen before the worst of it started.

"The area's gonna cave in! Iago, we've gotta get outta here."

Iago tried to fly even with his injured wing, but his flying speed wasn't fast. Aladdin saw an opening for them to escape, but saw that Iago lagged behind him, even as the heaviest of the rocks started falling. He ran back, as Iago managed to evade a few rocks but fell to the ground from overdoing the effort. He scooped the bird in his arms.

By the time Aladdin looked, the opening for them had closed, but he didn't have time to lament the loss. He ran zig-zagged through the area, running as fast as he could even as the area started shaking more violently. At one point he was knocked to his knees, and had to roll to evade a large rock that nearly crashed on the both of them. But he kept hold of Iago, and tried looking around for another exit.

_Found one. _ He ran, even as it too, started closing. He rolled, and barely made it into the next area before a large rock closed off the place where they once were.

Aladdin and Iago both gasped for breath as they lay on the ground, in something of a tunnel's walkway, where the only path to travel was north. Aladdin could see a light ahead of them, and a set of stairs that looked like it led to the main area of Grenden's palace. Even then, he wasn't sure. He'd never been to this place before, not even in his last visit to Lamrai.

"So, considering you were on my case about where we _were_, where exactly did we end up now?" Iago asked.

Aladdin sat up, his chest heaving as he caught his breath. "Somewhere safer than we used to be, that's for sure." For the first time, he saw how bad the nightmare beasts had skewered Iago's wing. He tore off a part of his tunic and wrapped it around the wing even as Iago winced.

"You won't be able to fly with it, but that's better than nothing at all, until it heals."

Iago scowled, glaring at him. "Peachy."

Aladdin groaned, thinking that was probably as close to a 'thank you' from Iago as he would get. But Aladdin could see Iago appreciated it as he gently moved his wing without too much discomfort.

Iago's stern expression fell when they both heard a familiar screeching ahead of them.

"Hey, is that the monkey?"

Aladdin took to his feet. "If Abu's nearby, that means Genie's not far either. Let's figure out where they are. The sooner we find out who's behind all this, the better."

* * *

Abu and Genie walked through some darker turns of the area, trying to figure out where they were. Genie materialized a map in his hands, donning a hard hat helmet with a light on the top of it to help him see.

"Let's see," Genie started, puffing out his chest. "We were over this way, then came through here, and then went up around here...aha. You know what this means, monkey?"

Abu shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. "Uh-uh."

Genie sighed. "We're irrevocably, inconceivably, irrefutably _lost_."

Abu groaned and sank against where he stood on Genie's left shoulder.

"You and me both, kid, I'm pooped." Genie scratched the top of his head. He started to speak again, but fell silent as he heard muffled voices ahead of them. He cupped a hand to his ear, but still couldn't make head or tails where he recognized the voices from.

"I think we might have company ahead worth checking out. Just be careful to keep your fur on your tail, this could get dangerous."

Abu cringed, screeching with worry as Genie followed the voices. It wasn't long before they came across a familiar set of villains who were tied up. Genie and Abu were both shocked.

"Abis Mal and Haroud?" Genie folded his arms across his chest. "I figured these two were up to something no good, and they ended up down here with us."

Abis Mal protested even with what looked like an apple in his mouth to keep him from talking, but Genie couldn't understand him.

"I know they say an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but I think you're going about it wrong."

Abu screeched in agreement, which made Abis Mal frown and protest more passionately. Genie used his magic to cut up the apple while it was in Abis Mal's mouth, and Abis Mal chomped on the smaller pieces and swallowed.

"Hey, that was actually pretty good. I should probably think about having a fruit cocktail party at some point in time, emphasis on the apples. Wait a minute, what am I _sayin_'? _Look_, Genie, it goes against my _evil_ nature to work with guys like you, but you've gotta help us!"

Genie and Abu didn't look amused. Neither did Haroud, who still had an orange in his mouth. Haroud rolled his eyes, but remained silent.

"Uh, usually if someone's taking the time to help you, you don't go out of your way to insult them," Genie said. "Hero's etiquette 101. You should buy the textbook and take the class, it's actually kinda helpful." He transformed into a professor with a long robe and glasses resting on the bridge of his nose. "Today in class, we're going to learn the basics of how to ask a hero for help if you are in a sticky situation. Rule Number 1: Don't insult your rescuer - it's just plain rude. Rule Number 2: You identify the problem in a calm, rational tone."

Abis Mal considered this. "Identify the problem..._Identify_ the_ problem_! All right. Look, that annoying sorcerer tricked the both of us, took the Princess and the magic Carpet."

Abu screeched, his fur standing on end. Genie looked equally surprised.

"Wait, you're saying Grenden did _all of this_ to you?"

"_Grenden_, yes, that's his name!" Abis Mal squirmed while trying to wiggle (unsuccessfully) out of his binds. "He's the one who said if we used those coins, we could get revenge on Aladdin and get the treasure from this place. We were supposed to lure you. But then he sent those weird beasts after us, tied us up and _just left us here!_"

Genie shared a glance with Abu. "Well, hate to tell you, but backstabbing runs among the wicked. As for us, we've gotta get Jas and the Rug Man out, _pronto_."

When Genie used his magic to at least make the orange out of Haroud's mouth disappear, Haroud had his fair share to say. "I would worry also about the boy. It seems the sorcerer is determined to make sure Aladdin doesn't leave this place alive or without some form of payment. Something we had in common until Grenden decided to take revenge for himself. Your prince was last seen with that insufferable bird you're usually with."

Genie frowned. "Guess that means we have to look for Al and Iago, too. Somehow I'm not liking the fact he's splitting us all up just for kicks. I'm gettin' deja-vu vibes already from the last time we dealt with him."

Abu started pointing behind them as two familiar figures emerged from what looked like a trap door beneath the ground.

Iago coughed. "Man, remind me never to go digging with you ever again."

Aladdin groaned. "At least we were able to get back without any trouble. I could've been worse. His expression brightened when he saw his friends. "Genie, Abu! You guys are okay! I figured you guys were nearby."

Genie rushed over and gave Aladdin and Iago the biggest hug he could. Aladdin winced, but grinned, while Iago wasn't too happy with the gesture.

"_Hey! Ow!_ I've got one bad wing already, are you _trying_ to make sure I don't fly again?!"

"Sorry Iago, what happened to you two?"

Aladdin answered for him. "It's a long story, Genie. Mostly getting chased by Grenden's beasts, Iago throwing us into a trap and then us getting out of a cave-in. Nothing we couldn't handle though. I'm just glad you guys didn't...Hey, what happened to those two?" He pointed t o Abis Mal and Haroud, who frowned at him. "And where's Jasmine and Carpet?"

"Uh Al, I think you might wanna sit down for this news," Genie began. "'Cause I'm assuming you don't know..."

"Know what?" Aladdin frowned, even as Genie used his magic to materialize a chair behind Aladdin. The prince didn't sit down and folded his arms across his chest.

Before Genie or Abu could answer, a high laugh echoed through the area, even setting Abis Mal and Haroud on edge.

"Welcome back to my humble abode, _Aladdin_. It took you long enough to find your friends again. Just enough of a distraction to get what _I_ wanted."

Aladdin turned around, and materializing in a furious rush of dark smoke, the laughing figure he saw made his blood run cold.

Genie winced, placing his hands on Aladdin to steady him. "Yeah. Grenden's back, Al."


	9. Chapter 8: Night Games

**Chapter 8: Night Games**

"It's really you isn't it?" Aladdin's voice sounded cold even to Jatika. He reveled in the fact that his disguise worked. He had them all properly fooled. Jatika was surprised that his magic had sustained this much for this amount of time, but part of it was due to the execution of his plan already underway topside in Agrabah.

He just had to manipulate the Prince and his friends a little longer.

Jatika-Grenden laughed. "If you're so dubious about my identity, street rat, then why don't you have a closer look?" The imp used his magic to take hold of a shadow that had lengthened just beneath Aladdin's feet. Abu was the one to spot the magic shadow before the others, but screeched out a warning too late as the dark, solid billows of smoke wrapped its way from Aladdin's feet to his shoulders like a cocoon, gripping him in a full squeeze that made him yell. The magic reeled Aladdin toward Jatika like a fish on a hook.

"_AL!_" Genie cried, turning his attention to Jatika. "Oh, no you don't, mister." Genie made a motion to roll up imaginary sleeves on his arms, before raising his hands. "You're not the only one who can work magic around here."

"I wouldn't waste any of your magic if I were you, foolish Genie," Jatika-Grenden warned. "Aim any of that towards me, and you'll be hitting him just the same. I don't think you'd want to hurt your own friend by extension, would you?"

Genie's brow narrowed as he realized he couldn't do anything else for the moment.

Iago shuddered as he stood on Genie's shoulder, opposite of where Abu stood on the other. "Who's takin' bets that he's got somethin' for the kid to do? I'm callin' it."

When Aladdin was in stepping distance, Jatika approached him with a wide grin on his face. "Close enough now to tell that I'm real?"

Aladdin spoke through his teeth, his brow narrowed. "Real enough. I wanna know what you did to Jasmine and Carpet. _Where_ are they?"

Jatika-Grenden's features turned to a dark mask, even as the sorcerer stood in a dark green robe that flowed over his shoulders and thin frame. "I would tell you to follow me, but since you're a little _wrapped up_ at the moment, I'll bring them to us."

From a corner in the underground palace, Jasmine and Carpet appeared in sight, cloaked in the same magic that Aladdin found himself within. Jasmine's eyes went wide at the sight of Aladdin. She struggled against the magic that bound her, but wasn't able to speak because of a cloud of magic hovered over her mouth, preventing her from speaking. Carpet wasn't far behind her. His knobs flailed wildly as he also struggled against his magical enclosure.

"Grenden, let them go!" Aladdin snapped.

Jatika laughed. "Oh, I will, in good time. But before I do, let's just say I have quite the test to put you through."

Iago pointed with one wing in Aladdin's direction. "_See what I mean? _Pay up, monkey!"

Abu just gave him a side eye glance, crossing his arms over his tiny chest.

Aladdin struggled further against the magic that held him. "_Test? What test? _ The last time you put me through a trial, you _almost had me killed_."

"On the contrary, considering last we met - _all of you_ had _me_ killed." Jatika made sure his guise turned toward Iago with a glowing, red-eyed stare. Iago's eyes went wide, and he trembled as Jatika-Grenden pointed a steady finger in his direction. "And it just so happened that a _certain bird_ dropped a crystal that contained my life force on my head and split it open. I haven't forgotten."

Iago grinned sheepishly. "Really? 'Cause, I don't remember that at all. Nope, not a thing! I'm just the innocent party over here with the maimed wing. Nothing to see here."

Jatika hurled a magic ball towards Iago, which made Abu panic enough to leap from Genie's other shoulder and scurry away. Genie snatched the bird out of the way in time, the magic ball crashing a distance behind them into a vase that disintegrated into several sparkling pieces. Abis Mal and Haroud both looked stunned at the close call, especially since they had to duck themselves to avoid the magic hitting them as well.

Genie sighed at the sight of Iago, as the bird's chest rose and fell in panicked breaths. "Iago, one of these days, you've gotta learn that opening your beak, especially with a lie, doesn't make things better."

"Point taken; _point taken_!" Iago said, waving his bandaged wing like a flag of surrender. "You won't hear another squawk from me from here on out."

Jatika had an idea occur to him. "Actually, your beak may be more valuable than you think, _bird_. Especially considering your prince may need your help to undergo the task I have for him."

Iago started to say something to that, but thought better of it.

"You haven't even told me what it is, let alone asked me whether I'd do it, Grenden," Aladdin said.

The boy's persistence angered Jatika. "Oh, you will, Aladdin. I'm all too aware of your sickening sense of altruism. But this trial is two fold. You'll save your friends from meeting a dire fate - one by one - at my hand." Jatika extended his shadowed magic, grabbing Abu, Genie, Iago, Abis Mal, and Haroud in the same clutches. Aladdin's eyes widened with panic. "You forget, street rat, that I have more power down here than any of you. The second part of my terms, in addition to sparing your friends, will be that you'll save your now eclipsed city by undertaking the task I have for you."

"You did something to _Agrabah_, too?"

Jatika smiled. "You'll find out the details soon enough. So what will it be, boy? I won't ask twice. Will you, or won't you go through the trial?"

Aladdin jaw was tight, and his expression remorseful as he looked among his friends.

"_Do it!_ He's gonna _destroy_ us all if ya don't!" Iago protested.

"I _don't wanna_ be _destroyed_!" Abis Mal cried trying to wiggle out of the magic that left him slightly suspended off the ground. "My life has been too short already!"

"That's not the only thing that's short about you, sir," Haroud said, but even with his quip, he looked concerned.

Abu screeched in protest.

Aladdin looked over to Jasmine, who, even with a panicked expression, closed her eyes and nodded toward him.

Aladdin turned back to Jatika-Grenden. "Fine. What do you want me to do?"

Jatika - Grenden opened his palm just inches close to Aladdin's face, revealing a hologram of a white crystal. "Scattered through the city are six crystals like the one you see here. The only you have to do is retrieve them all, and bring them back to me."

Aladdin raised a brow. "That's it? How would I find them if I don't know where they are?"

"For one, I don't expect you to go alone. Let's see." Jatika - Grenden looked among the group. "I suppose since this task will be challenging, you may take your Genie with you." He released the magic hold on Genie, who looked surprised at first, but then frowned. "And I suppose it's worth taking that bird with you, just so I won't have to put up with his squabbling."

Iago dropped from midair from where his magic hold released. Genie had to catch him since he couldn't fly.

"As for how you'll find the crystals, let's just say that you'll know when you come across them. They'll be very obvious to you, Aladdin. Especially you."

Aladdin looked as confused as Jatika had expected him to, but Jatika held back a laugh. "In any case, I hope you like the reworking of Agrabah I've done in your absence. While the lot of you were searching for me down here, I made some changes top side to the city reflective of the night. Let's just say you might want to hurry - your Sultan will need all the help he can get."

Jatika saw Aladdin's expression fall a little, but recover quickly. "What about everyone else?"

Jatika shrugged casually. "They'll be here when you return, no harm to them. I'll give you my word. Just as long as you bring back the crystals in a timely manner. I'm willing to give you two nightfalls, if you can make it through those."

"Two nightfalls..." Aladdin considered it. "Wait, does that count this one? It's probably close to nightfall in Agrabah by now."

Jatika grinned. "Yes, so you'll only have this coming one and the following. By the morning after next, I expect you to have the crystals for me. And no multiple trips - I want all six crystals to me in person at the doors to Lamrai. Or..." Jatika turned to look at Jasmine. "I'm afraid your wife may be the first to feel my vengeance."

Jasmine gave Jatika a glare that matched Aladdin's own furious one. The imp thought it was almost endearing, sickeningly so, how much the two of them were alike.

"Fine, Grenden. But you'd better not go back on your word," Aladdin said cooly. "If you'd actually let me go, I'd..."

Jatika cut him off. "On the contrary, I'll send you three on your way, _personally_." He used his magic to open a magic door, of billowed black smoke. "Your highness first."

Before Aladdin could say anything, he felt himself lifted in midair, and thrown through the portal while still bound by Jatika's magic.

"_AL!"_ Genie and Iago started, but couldn't do anything as Jatika repeated the same gesture with them, before sealing the way shut.

"As for the rest of you," Jatika - Grenden chose his words carefully, making sure to mask his voice and the wider than possibly human grin that crossed his features. "Your participation as spectators has begun._ Let the nightmare games in Agrabah begin_."


	10. Chapter 09: In the Mists of Agrabah

**Chapter 9: In the Mists of Agrabah**

Iago pulled himself up enough to realize that Genie was beside him, face buried in the sand where they'd been thrown back to the underground, out of Lamrai's entrance. Genie tried many times to pull himself out of the space, but with no success.

"Geez, ya think ya could faceplant a little harder?" Iago looked over to Aladdin, who groaned and used his elbows to raise himself from where he lay on the ground.

"Are you guys okay?" Aladdin asked. "Grenden's magic didn't exactly promise a soft landing."

Iago flinched. "I landed on my_ bad wing_, how do _YOU_ think I feel? And why the heck is Grenden _alive_? Someone please tell me that was all a bad dream!"

Aladdin shook his head, lowering it slightly. His hair fell forward over his eyes. "I wish it was. But then again, I don't think I'd want to be dreaming right now considering Jasmine and everyone..." Aladdin trailed off as he looked a distance past where they lay, his eyes widened, his breath hitched. He bolted to his feet, running towards the opening of the ground leading back to Agrabah.

"Hey! Where do ya think _you're going_?" Iago tucked his wings behind him and hobbled behind Aladdin on foot since he couldn't fly.

Genie, at the last possible moment, pulled his head out of the sand. His eyes were swirls until he rubbed them back to normal. "I thought I'd never thought I'd get out of there. I've heard about burying your head in the sand, but _that_ wasn't intentional." He knocked against the side of his head with a hand, and sand came out both of his ears. "Al? Iago?" Genie looked around, realizing he was alone.

It wasn't until Aladdin called out to him that Genie realized something was definitely wrong. He caught up to where Aladdin and Iago were occupied staring out of the entrance.

"What's going on, Al? You guys okay?" Genie asked.

"We may be, but the city's not. _Look_." Aladdin pointed ahead of them.

Genie's jaw dropped like a dead weight to the ground. He had to use his hands to lift it back into place. Then he laughed nervously. "Grenden said he did some decorating in Agrabah, but I don't think he mentioned trapping the city in a half-shell."

"Not to mention all the black vines," Iago said dryly. "Even if I could fly, I'd make it past the vines but not that big black dome thing."

"It's so dark, it's even masking the light of the moon." Aladdin took a slow, shaky breath. "I'm worried about everyone in the city, and we need to see how the Sultan's doing. If it's this bad out here, then the Palace..." He trailed off, trying to think of his next move, then nodded. "We can see who we can help on the way there. Maybe even get an idea of what's going on."

Genie nodded. "And maybe figure out what Grenden wanted with those crystals he wants us to find."

Aladdin groaned. "Ugh, don't remind me. I still don't know what he meant by that."

"I have an idea what's going on, and it don't involve too much thinkin' about it!" Iago cried, knocking a wing against Aladdin's head as if he were knocking on a door. Aladdin winced. "Everything's dark, so everyone's panicking and wanting to get outta the city!"

Aladdin snapped his fingers. "Then we'll go to the outskirts first. Genie, you think you can take us there?"

Genie winked, transforming into a bumper car. His door opened to let Iago and Aladdin inside. "Let's go, _mis amigos_. Keep your hands and wings inside, it's going to be a bumpy ride."

"Enough with the weird rhyming, already," Iago said dryly.

* * *

Aladdin, Iago and Genie arrived just outside the palace walls, where a large group of worried merchants stood discussing matters among themselves. The group seemed relieved to see Aladdin, chattering all at once in an effort to tell the prince their stories, but reluctantly, Aladdin had to interrupt them.

"I'm sorry, but there's too many of you that are trying to tell me things at the same time. Can someone start by telling me what happened to the city?" Aladdin asked.

One merchant trembled at the knees. "It is awful, my prince. It was about mid afternoon when the sky suddenly got dark, and the dome over the city appeared. We can get as far as stepping outside the wall, but...well look for yourself." He pointed at the edge of the dome's wall which stood tall, curving over them. It crackled with tendrils of electric magic.

"That...looks hazardous to my health just lookin' at it," Iago said while perched on Aladdin's shoulder.

Genie started walking up to the wall without pretense. "Not to worry, stand back and let the expert carve a path through."

"Uh, Genie, I think that might be a bad idea," Aladdin said, looking between Genie and the dome's wall.

"Not to worry, I'm not actually going to touch it. That would be silly!" Genie waved a dismissive hand. "But..." He pulled out a large drill from behind his back. "...I'm bringing out the big guns on this one."

Iago slapped his good wing against his forehead. "Oh _sure_, this is gonna be a _bust_."

Genie ignored him and turned on the large drill with the metal point. It wasn't long before Genie attempted to make contact with the wall that it sent a dark shockwave that jolted both the drill and Genie both. Aladdin, Iago, and the group of merchants winced with each yelp Genie gave (probably about ten counting) before the magic blew him and the drill back away from it.

Genie blew out a huff of smoke from his mouth, looking like soot covered him from head to foot. "I'm okay, just a little burnt around the edges."

"Hate to...no wait, I'm actually _glad_ to say we told ya so." Iago said with a sly grin.

"It doesn't seem like it made a dent in the dome at all," another merchant said. "The magic is too powerful. What's worse, Prince Aladdin, is that we can't even get back inside the city to our loved ones. There are too many vines."

Aladdin nodded. "I know, we saw them on the way here."

One of the merchants took Aladdin's hands. "Please, you must find a way to destroy them. Even when we tried to take them down, they would grow back. And there are rumors that there are..." he paused, swallowing nervously, "Monsters."

"_Monsters?_" Aladdin said.

Genie caught onto Aladdin's suspicion. "They wouldn't happen to be of the four legged variety, misty type beasts?"

The merchant shook his head. "No, I've heard these monsters could walk upright. They move like they're in shadow, but they've knocked many of our merchant stands to bits."

Aladdin looked at Genie with concern. "That's different than what we know."

"Yeah, I guess since we're not going anywhere out of the city any time soon, might as well see what Grenden's got on the monster menu for us to deal with," Genie said, crossing his arms across his chest and frowning.

"Nuh uh, not me. I'm stayin' right here, where I know I'm in the safety zone," Iago said.

"Okay then, Genie, let's go." That had Iago and Genie stop in surprise. Iago recovered faster when he found a place to watch a few other merchants talking over some food they were able to share from a fellow merchant.

* * *

Aladdin moved forward, past the front gate of the city, but Genie appeared in his path. Aladdin had to back a step to keep from running into him.

"Uh, you okay with just leaving him like that?"

Aladdin spoke in a low tone. "Genie, he's injured. If he's safe here with the other merchants, I'd feel a lot better about that than making him go to where we know there's trouble."

"Huh, good point. For a moment, I thought you were ditching him. I wonder why Grenden chose Iago to go with us anyway. Probably thought he was a liability."

Aladdin shook his head. "If he thought that, he doesn't know Iago very well. Sometimes I think he has more of a conscience than anyone gives him credit for. Still, we can't waste time. Let's move."

"Aye, aye, captain!" Genie said with a salute.

* * *

Iago had been a distance away and had overheard Genie saying the word "liability" and figured that was all he needed to hear.

"Liability, _smiability_. Good riddance. I didn't wanna go with them anyway. Leave the bird with the broken wing _behind_, why don't ya?" But there was something that broke slightly inside Iago along with his voice, and he wasn't sure what that was.

He rejoined the merchants around the campfire, finding a cluster of grapes to eat from.


	11. Chapter 10: Shifting

**Chapter 10: Shifting**

Jasmine shared a look with Abu as they remained in something of a dungeon hall in Lamrai. Grenden had confined them - Abis Mal and Haroud included, but Grenden and Carpet were nowhere in sight.

At present, Abis Mal wept loudly not too far away from them.

"Sir, if you were a proper villain at this point, you would not be crying and carrying on this way," Haroud said.

Abis Mal sniffled loudly. "You don't get it, Haroud, we're doomed. _ Doomed_, I say! That sorcerer's gonna destroy us all - he's gonna turn us all into...into..."

Haroud sighed. "Mincemeat, sir?"

"Yes, something like that." He blew his nose on a hanky that he pulled from his pocket.

Jasmine hugged her arms, looking down at where Abu whimpered at her feet. "We need to find a way out of here and back to Agrabah. I'm worried about the city, and Aladdin too. Is there anything you can do, Abu? At least to see where Carpet and Grenden went."

Abu looked afraid, but seeing the glossy look in Jasmine's eyes, he couldn't say no. He puffed out his chest and gave her a salute, even as his stomach did somersaults. It wasn't like he planned to play hero twice that day. He was hungry and hadn't eaten since earlier. He screeched a few words, which Jasmine understood with a small smile.

"Don't worry about leaving me with Abis Mal and Haroud. I think right now they're a_ little _occupied. Even then, I think if we're going to get out of here, they'll have to work with us - it's a temporary truce. Just hurry back before they change their minds."

Abu nodded, and scurried along the stony wall of their confines to try to find an opening. He couldn't go by the door since it was sealed with magic and gave no indication of what was outside.

He managed to squeeze through the narrow space of a stone plate that wasn't wielded the whole way shut, leading into a small turn in the underground palace that took him back to one of the main rooms. He recognized one of the main doors to Lamrai, and wondered briefly if he could find some way to get to Aladdin, Genie and Iago and warn them about what was going on.

But then he realized he would be better off trying to find a way to help everyone escape, and then worry about opening the door.

He scurried away, trying to follow the last place he'd seen Grenden.

But not before something snatched him up by his tail, making his frantic screeches bounce in an echo off the walls.

* * *

Genie held up another dark vine for Aladdin to walk under safely as they moved through the city.

"Agrabah hasn't seen this side of thorny weeds in...ever," Genie said, frowning.

"I can't believe we've been chopping down so many of these and they just keep growing back like nothing happened!" Aladdin's shoulders slumped as he sighed. "It's a wonder that the merchants made it to the end of the city when they did."

"Maybe they were already close to the edge of the city before all these weeds started spouting. I'm kinda hoping no one got caught in the cross-weeding, if you know what I mean."

Aladdin rolled his eyes. "Still...is there anything you can think of that might get us through this faster?"

"I can think of one method. It's time to bring out the powerful stuff. Hold your nose, it's gonna get stinky!" Genie transformed into an exterminator, a tank by his side with a long nozzle spray that he aimed towards the patch of black,thorny vines ahead of them. Aladdin held his nose while Genie sprayed a long mist of green smoke towards the vines. At first, the area cleared as the vines withered. Aladdin managed to step over the long, seemingly dead stretch of them, just before they grew back.

"Well, at least they give us some time to cross before growing back that way."

Genie scratched his head. "These weeds are even magic-proof, to an extent. I used the best I could get, too."

Aladdin started to say something when he heard a cry for help in the distance.

"Somebody! Help Me! I can't get out!"

Aladdin felt his back tense. "Come on, I think they're calling from that way." He pointed ahead and Genie followed, spraying his magic mist where they needed a path to clear.

As Aladdin made his way ahead of where Genie cleared a path for him, he recognized the figure calling for help. He remembered Warek all too well, back when they'd rescued the merchant from a tough imp wandering around the Moonstone Oasis named Jatika. Warek had come to live in Agrabah with his wife, Kesa, and his camel, Dyna shortly after that scuffle. It'd been one encounter that Aladdin remembered all too well, and the prince valued his friendship with the merchant. Jatika was long gone, but Warek had always been grateful to the group, especially after they saved his life several more times after their first meeting.

"Warek, hang on! Can you move at all?" Aladdin called.

"Aladdin! I thought I was the only one still left in the streets! The vines came fast and everyone scrambled to get inside their homes. Unfortunately, I was trapped. I don't want to move because I think the thorns may skewer me!"

"He's not kidding. These things are more pointy than several saw-toothed daggers." Genie put his finger over one of the thorns and pricked his finger. "OUCH!" Genie put a finger to his mouth and winced, but quickly recovered and held up his exterminator nozzle.

"Hold your nose, I don't think you wanna get a whiff of this."

Warek obeyed as Genie sprayed his magic vine killer. The vines fell away, and Aladdin stepped forward, pulling Warek out of the small cramped space into an open area of the city just before the vines grew back, with sharper tips.

Warek wiped the sweat from his brow. "That was close. If I'd been there a moment longer, they would've impaled me just for slumping over. Thank you, my Prince."

Aladdin held up his hands, palms forward. "Even after all this time, I'm still not used to people calling me 'prince.' Aladdin or Al's fine." Aladdin's smile faded as Warek looked to the sky above them and winced.

"What a devilish sight the sky holds over Agrabah. I'm not sure what happened either, only that it must be a being that wields powerful magic."

Aladdin's fists curled at his sides. "Yeah, we have an idea who's doing it, but we're trying to go through the city and help anyone we can on our way to the palace, among other things. When did this all happen, anyway?"

Warek rubbed the underside of his nose. "It was just on the cusp of evening. The first thing that went up was the dome around Agrabah, many of us wondered why it was getting dark so soon. And then came the vines. They slithered like serpents on the sands through the street before growing to what you see now." He swallowed hard. "I should also warn you that there have been shadows lurking here - things that look like monsters."

"And these are monsters of the two-legged variety?" Genie asked, hoping he had it right this time around.

Warek nodded quickly, waving his arms frantically. "Yes, yes! And they were _huge_! They were about as tall as the stand over there and very lean." He pointed over to a nearby, intact merchant stand ahead of them. " And, well, you can probably see the damage of what some of the monsters have done over that way. Several merchant stands and parts of buildings that aren't occupied. They moved so fast that it was hard to see them." He pointed south of where they stood, and Aladdin felt his breath shudder as he exhaled.

Genie grimaced. "All that destroyed by the monsters? Something tells me I don't want to tangle with those guys anytime soon if they do that kind of damage."

Before Warek could reply, a loud hiss cut through the night air, causing Warek to shiver from the top of his turban to his feet.

Aladdin looked equally worried. "What was that?"

Warek's voice barely rose above a whisper. "That was them."

A closer inhuman cry made them all turn, looking up at the top of a nearby building. A long lanky figure with billows of shadow surrounding it in the frame of the dim light that shone through the dome's cover over the city.

It howled with rage.


End file.
